Traffic wardens, extortionists, or beggars?

Emeka Ibemere, reports the menace caused by both the police and the volunteer traffic wardens on the Lagos State roads and junctions including on roundabouts and asked; if truly they are what they are? 

For the past three years, Adeyemi Alakija (not his real name), has been a traffic warden, working alongside the Ikotun Traffic Warden Police, in Alimosho Area of Lagos State, to control the chaos on Ikotun road’s junctions.

In his neighbourhood warden’s uniform — a pink coloured  shirt, and blue trousers and a cap, Adeyemi doesn’t look much like a beggar but that is what he has become in a disguise.

As early as six clock in the morning, he would leave his family and dressed in his neighbourhood watch uniform and headed to his office- Ikotun-Igando Roundabouts or to the main Ikotun roundabout, where he always stay to assist the police traffic wardens monitor traffic situations and perhaps help ease the traffic tension in the area.

But that isn’t what Adeyemi is doing. He is begging. Other neighbourhood watch colleagues of his are also in the same brisk business. For them, it was a chance to make money through skilful begging. Rather than lending a hand to the police working for the betterment of the road users and motorists in that area of the society, they turn the chance as a money making ventures.

 “They are beggars and embarrassing motorists on daily basis. They constitute menace here. Infact they cause traffic jam and they are the problems instead of the solution”, Chukwudi Okonkwor, a member of free readers Association at a close by news stand said.

“Instead of them to do something useful for society, they are working against it as volunteer wardens”. The volunteer wardens are local government area cops who receive remuneration for their work.

They work on an average for 13 hours every day, starting from 6am and closed around 10pm. But that could be an illegal duty. As civil servants, their duties end by 4 clock.

Ikotun Area of Lagos is prone to traffic jam and it occurs on daily basis. Their begging mantra start on by spotting SUV cars, Jeep, executive cars, cars driven by women, traditional rulers’ cars, senior citizens and in some cases, young ones on wheels.

As soon as they spot their ‘prey’, they dashed quickly in his front, stop the driver, and pretending to be stopping other vehicles, they cling to your door and would be demonstrating and asking for money.

About five able bodied men would rush one vehicle and while throwing the popular National Union of Road Transport Workers’ salute of: ‘T-u-w-a-le’! They pass you while asking for money.

This is done repeatedly over time and as long as they hang there. Every clean and exotic car is a prey. Though they don’t pose threat should nothing is drop for them. They aren’t like their other counterparts, known as ‘Area boys’. Their difference with the later is in their uniform. They carry on their ‘duty’ professionally. 

Their nuisance is a headache. They could delay to pass other vehicles as long as their ‘prey’s cars could pass. At the four-junction-roundabout, each takes over one of the adjoining roads; and as one is passing one lane, the other would interrupt by passing vehicles on the other lane, putting everywhere into confusion. Soon, the roads are blocked.   

Worse is that they would be passing only their ‘preys’ whom they have spotted from afar. They would make sure that their ‘preys’ cars are passed quickly and do not care about other vehicles. They are passionate about the ‘job’ and they are smiling every day. Money realized is shared together and no one takes the proceeds alone

During the festival periods, they are up all day manning traffic at major Ikotun junctions and these are carried out in other parts of Lagos State. They even work as a traffic warden on public holidays and on Sundays. Whether traffic or no traffic, they are always there even when they go to church and come back, they return to beg.

 They developed instincts in knowing a prey that would give money and the one that cannot give anything. They know every motorist by name, especially those who patronises them. From their experience, they can tell the number of vehicles passing through the Ikotun per minute.  

Their close of shop depends the situation of traffic and in most cases; they police would close leaving them to take full control of the situation. At this time, it’s always difficult using the roads because; it’s a peak period for them.

In this business of begging in disguise, the Ikotun police are also culprits. The police in Ikotun would in the process of their work, stop the flow of traffic because they want to extort money from a Danfo driver and permit them to make a u-turn in an unauthorized place.

The police also allow illegal parking and loading of passengers by the commercial buses at the Ikotun roundabout on collecting their tolls. This is what cause major hold-up at the Ikotun roundabout. The police there, uses plain clothed ladies and some ‘area-boys’ to serve as their vaults to avoid being dictated. Any u-turn at Ikotun roundabout cause every ‘Keke Na Pepe’ and other buses N50, per turn and at Igando-roundabout of the same Ikotun, police collect N50 from the buses plying Igando road.

The neighbourhood watch traffic wardens were appointed to achieve public cooperation in road safety and traffic management. The duties and responsibilities of Traffic Wardens are as follows; to serve as a bridge between the state traffic police and the community for better understanding of local and general traffic problems. Monitor traffic movements and road situations and report irregularities and violation of the law. According to a police officer who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, they should make suggestions for improvement of various traffic problems. He said they should continuously promote road safety awareness in public and school children and render assistance to victims of road accidents. The officer disclosed that traffic wardens should help and guide pedestrians to cross road and walk on footpaths safely.

 “They are to guide road users to observe traffic rules, prevent violation of traffic rules and regulations and help the police to maintain order on festivals and other occasions. My Ayodele James, a business man stated that the role of the neighbourhood watch traffic officers was to assist the police in regulating traffic and to inculcate better traffic sense in the public. “Traffic wardens should have sufficient time to regulate traffic at the given main crossing at least two days in a week for 3 hours at peak hours. However they will be contacted by traffic police as and when the situation warrants”, he disclosed. “If any traffic warden is found misusing his powers at any time by the concerned  officer of the neighbourhood watch or other officers of Traffic Police the matter can be put up to their boss”. According to him, government should be serious with these types of people who constitute problems on the roads instead of solving it. He said further that can be taken away from the roads and roundabouts and should anyone found trying to beg or misuse the privilege given to them that such a person could be dealt with as a criminal.

It was gathered that voluntary service Traffic Wardens, like neighbourhood watch, Boys scout, Boys Brigade, Man O’ War and other sundry volunteer organizations that dots all the local government areas of Lagos State  have no any statutory powers.

It was further learnt that were they have statutory powers, that their reports on traffic violations and conditions shall, however, be considered by the Federal Road Safety Commission and the Traffic Police. The role of traffic Wardens may also include suggesting of measures for improvement of road situations.

Experts say that Traffic Wardens are not expected to violate traffic rules or commit any such acts which reflect adversely on the institution and should also refrain from exploiting their privileges by false reporting or other impropriety. Traffic Wardens, they stated should be motivated by a spirit of service and dedication and not pecuniary measures. Traffic Wardens could volunteer themselves even without being called upon to advance the objectives of road safety by harnessing their personal and professional resources and not by begging money and embarrassing motorists.

Our investigations revealed that most of the volunteer traffic wardens were not trained on traffic laws and regulations, especially on how to help pedestrians and drivers, personal and traffic safety hazards, and rules related to their functions. Enhanced enforcement of traffic regulations includes reducing illegal parking. Improved traffic discipline in general in the area and educed localized traffic congestion. They are also help in improving perception of safety from traffic hazards, particularly for school children and other disadvantaged groups. It is there duty to also increased level of personal security, public awareness about traffic regulations. Despite all these duties, stakeholders expressed their views on the enforcement problems of traffic regulations in Lagos State and its environs.

Chukus Ogbonna, a commercial motorcycle operator in the area said the problem of hold-up in Lagos state is due to insufficient positive guidance to traffic and poor enforcement of traffic regulation orders. He also felt that more effective enforcement of traffic regulation orders was necessary, particularly against illegal parking, intruders into bus lanes, control of particular turning movements, etc.

According to him, traffic police should be more proactive in guiding traffic rather than wasting their valuable time to monitor parking problems and making money from the motorists.  Volunteer traffic wardens are meant to complement the local police to enforce traffic regulations.

However, experts are of the opinion that their duties should be limited to providing positive guidance to drivers and pedestrians, enforcement of regulations which are easy to execute, dealing with minor offences, and helping pedestrians, school children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. There are also reports that they may not be allowed, for example, to deal with complicated legal matters. Involvement of the local community in traffic management would also help increase public consciousness about traffic regulations.

There are two major issues in introducing a community traffic warden system of neighbourhood watch in Lagos State.

The Lagos State government said the state Security Trust Fund utilizes donations from corporate bodies and individuals to equip the security agencies operating within the state. According to them, it was an ongoing collaboration between the government and the people of Lagos state to ensure the safety of all Lagosians. The beneficiaries of the funds are the Lagos State Police Command, Mobile Police Force, Marine Police Force, Air Police Force, Anti Terrorist Squad, OPMESA, Rapid Response Squad and the Neighbourhood Watch.

It was reported that the Lagos State House of Assembly once expressed its determination to equip the Neighbourhood Watch to perform effectively and efficiently its responsibilities. 

Hon. Ibrahim Layode, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture and Cooperative and Rural Development stated this during a meeting with the Ministry of Rural Development and Leadership of the Neighbourhood Watch in the State.
 The lawmaker said the State Government is impressed with the performance of the security outfit noting that there is need for the Assembly to co-operate and collaborate with the Ministry so as to ensure the security outfit performs optimally.
 "The Neighbourhood Watch performs very well despite the challenges facing the outfit in combating crime in the State, but the outfit needs to be equipped properly and remunerated very well”.

The Lawmaker further noted that Security equipment to combat crime such as baton, handcuffs, vehicles and others that would assist the outfit to carry out their security functions would be purchased. He therefore, directed the Ministry to forward its needs and constraints to the committee.
 Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi was reported to have said that the Ministry had purchased over 385 walkie-talkie radios and is planning to increase the number soon and would collaborate with the Assembly in the realization of its goals.
 He further stated that most Local Government bosses who are supposed to assist the outfit in terms of remuneration and other financial support have abandoned it. Investigations gathered showed that neighbourhood watch officers have been abandoned forcing them to turn into begging at the detriment of their job. It was further revealed that they have no adequate remuneration and incentives. But in a report made available, Deputy State Co-ordinator, Mr. Bankey Adenusi, was said to have assured the committee that if adequate remuneration and incentives are provided for personnel, they would discharge their responsibilities effectively adding the Neighbourhood Watch lost many of their members in the course of combating crime.
 On May 15, 2013, the Lagos State Government distributed 500 stunner guns and 1,000 handcuffs to officials of Neighbourhood Watch, a community security outfit, to beef up security in the state.

Speaking on the issue then, Commissioner for Rural Development, Cornelius Ojelabi, disclosed at a ministerial press conference at the Secretariat, Alausa, in Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, said 20 garret metal detectors with batteries were also handed over to the officers.

He stated that the guns, handcuffs and the metal detectors were handed over to the officers by the Lagos State Security Fund to further equip the watchers for community policing.

“These security gadgets have since been distributed to the coordinators. In addition, 2,000 uniforms were provided and distributed to the officers of the security outfit in addition to the 855 distributed in 2012. He added that 11 patrol vans were purchased and distributed to the officers the same year while 28 patrol vans were refurbished in January 2013. He stated that government was committed to ensuring development of rural areas in the state to minimise the frequent rural-urban migration, adding that the demand for social amenities and basic infrastructure has continued to increase by the day due to the influx of thousands of people into Lagos daily. But despite the huge funding of the neighbourhood watch as claimed by the authorities at Alausa, the Secretariat of the State government, one is yet to understand the begging culture of the officers. One hopes that it wasn’t in their star but in their character.